Patios set to "pop up" around Calgary

A pop up patio in New York City. Photo via DNA Info New York.

It looks like Calgary streets are about to get that much more fun thanks to cutting red tape at City Hall. Here's a release about how The City of Calgary is making it easier to let "pop up patios" appear around town:

A new, streamlined application process for "pop up patios" means Calgarians will be seeing more unique street-level cafes throughout the city. With a proper permit, these temporary sidewalk cafes safely extend existing cafes onto city sidewalks or parking lots adjacent to a cafe.

"Businesses and their customers want more outdoor patios to enjoy the best of our weather while at a cafe," said Ward 7 Alderman Druh Farrell. "And temporary patios are an easy and cost effective way to increase vibrancy in our communities."

Previously, these types of outdoor cafes were not clearly defined. As a result, it was difficult to know what permit was required, and the process required. The new system clearly describes the types of pop up patios available and actions required to obtain a development permit or licence of occupation. The new system also includes support for the business owner as they move through the process.

"We knew it was possible to simplify the process and make this easier for our customers," said Mark Sasges, Chief Development Planner with Development & Building Approvals at The City of Calgary. "We're working hard to take this approach with many of our existing permit processes, and the positive response we're receiving from businesses lets us know we're on the right track."

Andy Fennell, owner of Gravity Espresso and Wine Bar in Inglewood, is preparing to open his pop up patio next week.

"I was surprised that all we needed was a Licence of Occupation," said Fennell. "I thought this was going to be more complicated than that and wasn't even sure I would get approval in time for this year; now I hope to have my patio opened just in time for Stampede."

"Even small initiatives like this can make big differences for our local businesses, their customers, and our neighbourhoods," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. "Much like what we did to help bring food trucks to Calgary, we brought together everyone who could help cut red tape and make this happen.”

Currently, there are five types of outdoor cafes including patios that can be on a sidewalk, curb lane, or public or private parking stalls. For more information on the types of pop up patios, please visit here.

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Civic Census 2012: Good data = Good decisions

Today, Mayor Nenshi released Calgary's latest civic census data for the media. To view the latest data, please visit calgary.ca/census.

View full video of Mayor Nenshi's media conference. The City of Calgary has also produced a brief video.

Click here to view Mayor Nenshi's slide presentation used during the media conference.

City Releases 2012 Census Results

June 28, 2012, Calgary - Today, The City of Calgary released the 2012 Civic Census results for the period from April 2011 to April 2012. Calgary’s population has reached 1,120,225; this is an increase of 29,289 residents from April 2011 when the Civic Census showed the city’s population was 1,090,936. This represents a significant increase in Calgary’s population. At 2.68%, this year’s percent of population growth is similar to the level seen in 2007 where population growth was 28,283 or 2.84%.

“Current and accurate data is a critical part of making good, informed decisions about the future of Calgary,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “The 2012 Civic Census includes important information for City Council and Administration.”

Community Growth
Panorama Hills continues to lead the way in growth at a community level with a population increase 2,396. Other communities that experienced growth of more than 1,000 residents include: Auburn Bay (1,424), Skyview Ranch (1,185) and Cranston (1,026).

Five communities grew by more than 50%.These communities are:

• CFB – Currie (616.67% or an additional 148 residents)
• Skyview Ranch (65.65% or an additional 1,185 residents)
• Mahogany (60.66% or an additional 478 residents)
• Walden (57.41% or an additional 341 residents)
• Sage Hill (53.61% or an additional 764 residents)

Net Migration and Natural Increase
From April 2011 to April 2012, 19,658 more people moved to Calgary than moved away from Calgary. As with overall population growth, this level is similar to what was seen in 2007 when natural increase was 17,631. Natural increase (the result of births over deaths) continued to be a source of growth at 9,631, down slightly (227) from last year.

Housing
The number of housing units, both existing and under construction, increased by 8,387 to 459,339.

The number of vacant dwelling units in Calgary decreased by 3,564 to 12,616 in 2012. Vacant dwelling units are defined as units that are suitable and available for occupancy and does not include those units under construction or renovation. The overall vacancy rate in the city is 2.82%, down 0.87 from 3.69% in 2011.

There are now 434,474 occupied dwellings. Of this number, 301,005 or 69.28% are owner-occupied. In 2011, the comparable percentage was 70.1%.

The Civic Census Results Book and data tables in excel and PDF format will be available on calgary.ca/census after 11am on June 28, 2012.

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Statement on the Passing of Kurban Nenshi

Today, on Father’s Day, the day after his 72^nd birthday, Kurbanali Hussein Nenshi passed away.

Born in Tanzania in 1940, Kurban was thrust into a leadership role early when his own father passed away. From that moment, Kurban worked tirelessly to ensure that his younger siblings were able to succeed.  He married Noorjah in 1967, and the family came to Canada in 1971, settling in Calgary in 1973. In many ways, his life was ordinary – struggle, sacrifice, giving back to the community, building an amazing future for his family. But he never forgot just how extraordinary this country and this city are, in giving him and so many others amazing opportunity. This, combined with his deep and unshakeable faith, led him to instill the value of service in everyone he touched. Kurban was a compassionate man who loved his family with a fierce devotion.

He leaves behind his loving wife Noorjah, daughter Shaheen , son-in-law Al-Noor and son Naheed, as well as the lights of his life, his granddaughters Asha and Sofia. He also leaves five siblings and their families and innumerable nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great-grand nieces, as well as his wife’s family, the Esmails, to whom he was very close. He was pre-deceased by his parents, five other siblings and two much-loved siblings-in-law.

The family would like to thank our amazing extended clan for all their love and support (how do people function without dozens of cousins?).  We would also like to thank all of the many health professionals over the years for the exemplary care they provided, in this system we are blessed to access. We must single out Dr. Nanette Alvarez and her team (especially Diane, Leslie, and Shah) and Dr. Jose Madrilejos, as well as Dr. Gail Ewasechko, all of the staff of Rockyview Unit 58, and the Palliative Care team for their compassion at the end. It was because of this amazing care over the years that Kurban was able to see his children achieve their dreams, and see his granddaughters born, as well as spend special precious time with them.

There will be a private memorial service in the Ismaili Muslim tradition. In lieu of flowers, if so desired, memorial tributes may be made to the Calgary Foundation, referencing the Nenshi Family Charitable Fund, benefiting immigrant youth, people in poverty, and arts and culture in Calgary:  The Calgary Foundation, 700-999 8 Street SW, Calgary AB, T2R 1J5. www.thecalgaryfoundation.org

Have your say on tweaks to the City budget

Last year, Mayor Nenshi and City Council changed the way we involve Calgarians in creating Calgary's business plans and budgets. The Our City. Our Budget. Our Future. project engaged more than 23,000 Calgarians to learn more about City budgets and have their collective voices heard. The result was Council's Fiscal Plan for Calgary which directed City Administration in business planning and budgeting and the eventual 2012-2014 business plans and budgets for The City of Calgary.

But wait--there's more!

Every year, Council reviews the business plans and budgets for potential tweaks. So, let's keep the conversation going and involve all Calgarians.


Here’s how you can participate:

• Please look through the site, www.calgary.ca/ourfuture
• You can comment wherever you want
• Please complete our short survey
• Visit 2012-2014 business plans and budgets for more detailed information
• Share with us what you are thinking!

It is only by understanding your priorities that we can ensure the services we provide meet your needs.

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Politics 2.0 - Mayor Nenshi and the power of social engagement

In May 2012, the editors of Readers' Digest Canada called Mayor Nenshi one of the most trusted people in Canada. This amazing distinction came with a full story about Mayor Nenshi's ideas on politics and citizen engagement, where he's been, and where he's going. Below is an excerpt from the story by Calgary writer Marcello Di Cintio; you can read the full story here.

... As Take Our Kids to Work Day draws to a close, the teens scramble to get their photos taken with Nenshi. His election has given him exposure enjoyed by few Canadian mayors. He was one of CNN’s Intriguing People, and was interviewed by The New York Times and Al-Jazeera. The attention was heady, even if the reporting sometimes rankled. Many of the international stories focused on how Calgary, famous for its conservatism, elected a member of a visible minority for the city’s top political office. The Indo-Asian News Service declared that “Naheed Nenshi, a Harvard-educated Ismaili Muslim, defeated two white candidates to become the mayor of Calgary Monday night.”

Nenshi argues that the real story about his election isn’t about his race or religion—which, he’s quick to remind reporters, hardly came up during the campaign—but about Calgary’s colour-blindness. “It’s about what Calgary does right in a world desperate for role models on making multiculturalism work.”

The media attention has also sharpened Nenshi’s skills at staying on message. He answers questions before reporters have finished asking them—answers that rarely vary. Nenshi is renowned for giving speeches without notes, yet those who’ve watched him know his interviews follow a familiar script.

In other areas, though, Nenshi exhibits an impulsiveness that has drawn criticism. Last November, in the midst of budget negotiations, he lost a series of votes that resulted in a higher than expected property tax hike; frustrated, he informed CBC Radio that some of Calgary’s aldermen think “that we can treat the taxpayer like an ATM.” The comment earned Nenshi public rebukes from fellow council members and a dressing-down in council chambers by alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart. Nenshi reminded Colley-Urquhart that she had tweeted he was “petulant” the week before. If Nenshi’s shine has dulled at all, it’s partly due to his grumpiness when things don’t go his way.

Yet Nenshi continues to engender goodwill elsewhere. Recently a series of new campaign-style buttons were spotted on coats downtown. The mayor’s office claims it didn’t commission them—they appeared spontaneously. For Ward 9 alderman Gian-Carlo Carra, such signs point to the fact that there is still enthusiasm in Calgary for Nenshi. “He’s doing a really great job,” says Carra, an urban designer who left his practice in 2010 to run for city council. “I’d be less happy to have entered public service if Nenshi wasn’t at the helm leading a culture shift away from politics-as-usual.”

Nenshi believes the excitement will stay as long as he shows himself to be more than a politician. “If people see you trying to do good things for their community, they will trust you.” For him, that includes engaging directly with Calgarians. “I’m trying to establish a culture of risk-taking. That means we’re going to try a lot of stuff. That also means we’re going to fail at stuff,” he says. “But citizens see we’re trying to make this city a better place, and I think they have responded to that.”

The recent budget put that risk-taking strategy to the test. Most city halls, including Calgary’s previous councils, impose budgets on their citizens, with little debate or public input. “This year we turned the process on its head,” Nenshi says. Months before the budget was tabled, the city kicked off an outreach program called “Our City. Our Budget. Our Future” that solicited Calgarians’ input through surveys, online interactive programs and open houses. “We asked what the city should do more of—what are you willing to pay for?” says Nenshi. The creation of a comprehensive cycling strategy, aimed at getting more Calgarians to ride bikes, turned out to be one of the priorities. As a direct result of citizen feedback, the city opted to fully fund the three-year $27-million plan—one of the largest single additions to the budget. “It sounds straightforward,” says Nenshi, “but it was a new way of thinking.”

Carra welcomed the budget consultations, but is lukewarm about a process that cost taxpayers $800,000 and drew the participation of only two percent of the population. “I think the results weren’t as helpful as they could have been,” he says. “But most innovative ideas will always have a rough start.”

For his part, Nenshi thinks the nuts and bolts of the budget process can be tweaked and its costs lowered. Sparking the public’s interest in civic participation, however, isn’t something he wants to give up on. “What’s important,” he says, “is to shed the bias that there is only one way of doing things.” ...

You can read the full article in Readers' Digest.

Learning from Calgary students at the Mayor's Environment Expo

Mayor Nenshi takes part in the Mayor's Environment Expo with Blessed Cardinal Newman School

Today is the final day of the 23rd annual Mayor’s Environment Expo and Mayor Naheed Nenshi has been on hand every day to welcome groups of students ready to strut their eco-stuff.

“So many Calgarians are taking action to help protect the environment, and this expo highlights just some of the great work being done by our youth,” says Mayor Nenshi. “The environmental leadership of Calgarians of all ages is inspiring.”

Over the past three days, Mayor Nenshi spent time with youth leaders to explore environmental actions including composting, energy conservation, and waste reduction. Presentations were given by most of the eleven schools participating in the Expo’s year-long Showcase School program. Each of the projects undertaken by the Showcase Schools are featured on Calgary.ca.

The Mayor’s Environment Expo is Calgary’s premiere event in celebration of National Environment Week. All Calgarians are encouraged to take action to improve the environment in our city. It may even be one of your 3 Things for Calgary!

The Expo was open to the public at the Municipal Building between June 5 and 7.

- Reprinted from Calgary City News Blog

A better and more equitable taxi service is possible

Here is an excerpt from my regular monthly column that appeared in the Calgary Herald today. Please visit this page for more information on Council changes for the taxi industry.

One of the most difficult issues any city faces is regulation of the taxi industry.

Evidence shows that pure deregulation of this industry rarely works in the developed world. In addition to making it difficult to protect the safety, cleanliness, and effectiveness of the system, the economics of supply and demand can result in a system where it is difficult for drivers to earn any money, so they exit, resulting in fewer cabs than before.

But most cities also struggle with the nature of regulation. Whether cabs are restricted through knowledge tests, as in London, or through the number of plates, as in most North American cities from New York to Calgary, cities are always trying to improve the system.

Calgary is no exception. While the taxi system is, for the most part, safe and reliable, there are many areas in which it is underperforming.

Many drivers are concerned about their safety and a system that sometimes seems tilted against them in favour of taxi brokers who run the dispatch companies. Further, many taxi licences (or plates) are owned by people, including some by the brokers, who never actually drive a cab but sub-license to other drivers, who can then have the plate taken off their cab at any time for any reason. This happens despite the fact that these drivers have to purchase and outfit the vehicles themselves. No wonder many drivers are afraid to speak out.

Earlier this year, one broker even chose to voluntarily cease operations after allegations surfaced that it illegally sub-licensed its plates. Don’t feel too bad for the broker, though. Its shareholders will be transferring their more than 50 plates at a good price (estimated to exceed $100,000 per plate).

Passengers, for their part, are mainly concerned with the availability of service, particularly for those who need cabs late at night on the weekends and for people with disabilities (for whom taxis might be their only reliable form of transportation). Fixing the system, then, must help these two groups of passengers.

Isn’t it reasonable that Calgarians should have taxi service available when and where they want in our city? 

When passengers complained they get busy signals when they call dispatchers, the brokers indicated that drivers refused to drive at peak periods. Drivers, for their part, claim that the brokers have simply not invested in their dispatch systems and don’t have enough people to answer the phones. Drivers tell stories of waiting an hour or more to be dispatched while passengers are desperately trying to get through. City

Council had to fix this. And the solution begins with a whole new regulatory regime--one based on actual data.

Since cabs have GPS units and smart meters already, we are now requiring that all cabs in Calgary, starting next year, share this data. We will know how many cabs are on the road and accepting fares at any given time, and we’ll know where they are in the city. This will help City Council make decisions about future allocations of taxi licences.

We are also requiring brokers to abide by benchmarks based on industry standards that have been common in call centres for many years but have never been adopted here...

To read the full article, please visit the Calgary Herald. 

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Mayor Nenshi's Meetings: May 2012

Below is a list of external meetings hosted by the Mayor during the month of May 2012.

For an explanation of why this list exists and who is on it, please visit our post about highlighting accountability in the Mayor's Office.

May meetings included:

• Adam Legge, Calgary Economic Development - May 2, 2012
• Wayne Stewart - April 2, 2012
• Steve Schroeder, Calgary International Film Festival - May 8, 2012
• James Robertson, WC Development Trust - May 9, 2012
• Anthony Lacavera, Wind Mobile - May 10, 2012
• Lyle Edwards, Calgary Municipal Lands Corporation - May 16, 2012
• Annie MacInnis, C-Biz - May 23, 2012
• Barb Stein, C-Biz - May 23, 2012
• Maggie Schofield, C-Biz - May 23, 2012
• Mike Shaikh, Calgary Police Commission - May 23, 2012
• Gerry Turcotte, St. Mary's University - May 24, 2012
• Steve Allan, Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative - May 25, 2012
• Cathy Williams, Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative - May 25, 2012
• Errol Lee Fullen, May 25, 2012

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team